I Want More Than This
by lovedepp
Summary: It's been years since their adventures with the Clow Cards and Syaron has always been there for Sakura as a friend but is struggling to keep his feelings in check. When Sakura seeks Syaoran's help, he realizes that he can't hide his feelings anymore.
1. Chapter 1

My relationship with Sakura began as hate. I despised the girl chosen by Cerberus to collect the Clow Cards. I am a direct descendant of Clow Reed and it was my duty to keep the cards within the family. To find out that my competition was a clumsy girl was an insult. I sought to be better then her; I wanted to collect all of the cards and bring honor to the Li clan. During each confrontation with the cards it was more than just the card captors against the cards; it was a battle between me, Sakura, and the cards. Each time I would win a card I felt triumphant and had to gloat a little. I mean, sometimes she was just plain clueless and had no idea what she was doing. Who in the world would think to use Windy againg Thunder? I can't blame her though, she did only have Cerberus as her guardian and only "teacher," that plush toy had nothing on me.

However, our rivalry eventually brought us closer. Since we spent so much time chasing after the cards it was inevitable that we wuld get to know one another. It was then that I saw that there was something about Sakura that made her worthy to be the new Master of the Cards; her devotion and willingness to help others. She cares so much about her friends and family that she would do anything for them. That is why even though I was humiliated when I failed Yue's challenge, I knew Sakura deserved to be called the new Master of the Cards.

It was shortly after all of the Clow Cards had been collected that I came to realize that I cared for Sakura; I cared for her more than in just a friendly manner. The confusion over my feelings towards Yukito became clear upon talking to Yue. He explained that because I am a descendant of Clow Reed, I was attracted to the powers of the Moon that came from Yukito/Yue. It didn't take me long after that talk to realize that I had feelings for Sakura; she plagued my thoughts throughout the day. One look, one smile from her was enough to send the heat creeping to my face and make me all flustered. I was sure that my feeling for her would be made known through that embarrasing display, but Sakura had always been a bit unobservant when it came to things like that. Or it could have been the fact that she was too preoccupied with her own feelings towards Yukito.

Tomoyo, on the other hand, was much more aware of the people around her, especially the people close to Sakura. She was the first to call me out on my feelings towards Sakura and I was very thankful to have someone know and understand my situation. Tomoyo loved Sakura beyond belief; she worshiped the ground Sakura walked on. However, it was more of a sisterly love, they had grown up together and just like their mothers, they had been inseperable.

Tomoyo was able to help me out when I thought I could not handle my feelings. When Eriol came to Tomoeda I grew incredibly jelouse of his ablity to interact so freely with Sakura; he was always around her and offering to help her with anything she needed. Tomoyo gave me a pep talk and encouraged me to keep up hope and remain close to Sakura. And that's what I did; I became Sakura's best guy friend but with the full intention of someday becoming more.

Sakura, Tomoyo, and I did everything together. I even went to a freaking Teddy Bear Exhibit once because she loves teddy bears and was really excited to about lame…no guy wants to spend the afternoon looking at stuffed bears. What I did take from that day was that it was was the first time I called Sakura by her first name and she began calling me Syaoran.

As far as friends go, I'd say I was a pretty damn good friend. I was there through all of Sakura's harships when it came to transforming the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards and she would be so exhausted that I had to carry her sometimes. I was there when she cried on the swing sets as she told me her confession to Yukito about her true feelings for him and it broke my heart to hear her voice them but it hurt more to see her cry over his kind rejection. I couldn't think about my hurt feelings when she was in so much pain so I just held her while she cried over another man.

After that night on the swing set something changed in Sakura. She closed off part of her self and while most people did not notice the magnitude of the change, Tomoyo and I did. After she defeated all of Eriol's challenges and solidifyed her role as Master of the Sakura Cards there was not much to do in terms of magical adventures.

Years passes with relatively no incidents in our small town. We left elementary school and went to middle school, the gang stuck together all the time. Going into high school Sakura, Tomoyo, and I were the most popular kids in school. Thanks to Tomoyo's sense of fashion we were always up to date with the trends of Japan's fashion industry and the rest of the students were envious of our good looks. Sakura and Tomoyo were easily the best looking girls in our grade and could even outdo a few of the upperclassmen. I had always been told that I was a good looking kid by my sisters and eventually by my female peers and it seemed that my looks had gotten better with time.

Recently, Sakura had begun to come back to her old happy and carefree self. Whereas before her smiles used to be forced, now they were genuine and radiant. We spent most of our time together and lately it had been more of just Sakura and myself since Tomoyo had begun an internship at a film school. Sakura and I would go on walks around our beloved Penguin Park or sometimes just chill at my place since I lived alone with Wei and I didn't like to deal with her annoying brother when I went over to her place; that guy never liked me.

Needless to say, her complete happiness was short lived when Touya and Yukito came out with their relationship and decided that they were going to move in together. Sakura did not take the news too well. I came home from a late night soccer practice at the high school to find her sitting on my front porch. Sakura was wearing one of her cute little dresses and had her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked up and I saw her puffy red eyes still wet with tears. I ran to her and she threw her arms around me, sobbing against my chest.

"Syaoran…can I stay with you for a little bit?" she whispered into my shirt.

"Please? I need your help." She pleaded.

"Yeah, come on in."

We entered the house and I lead her to the couch while I went into the kitchen to make some tea. When I came back, she took her mug and took a small sip before she broke down in tears again.

"Sakura what's wrong?"

"Oh Syaoran, I thought I was completely over my crush for Yukito but I guess I wasn't prepared to let him go. I mean I knew that I wasn't his #1 person but in my heart there was still a small part of me that believed somehow it would all work out with him. I never felt anything more than respect and friendship towards Yue but when it comes to Yukito I can't control what I feel. And then today my big brother comes home with Yukito and tells me and my father that he and Yukito have been in love for a long time and that they want to move in together into Yukito's house. And get this, my father wasn't even mad or surprised! He said he had known for some time and that he was happy Touya had decided to be open about it. Throughout the whole thing I had to pretend to be happy for them and inside I was just falling apart and it hurt so much and I didn't know what to do. Finally I though about how years ago you were the one to comfort me when I first told Yukito and I know its kinda selfish of me to ask you to be here for me but I can't go to anyone else and I just need some time away from home and I don't want to be alone and …and…" she was ranting and I knew how nervous and upset she must be.

"It's okay Sakura, I'm glad that you trust me enough to come and talk to me"

"Thanks Syaoran. Hey do you mind if I take a short nap? It's been a long day and I'm kinda tired."

"Yeah go ahead, you can sleep in the guest bedroom." We left the living room and I lead her into the the guest room across the hall from my room. "Get some rest Sakura. Oh and if you need anything just let me know. I want you to know that you can stay here for as long as you need to."

"Thank you Syaoran, you're amazing." She said as she climbed into the middle of the bed.

I left the guest room and walked into my room. It was late afternoon but it looked much darker out due to the storm clouds rolling into town. There wasn't much to do this Friday evening so opted to pick up a book and read. As I lay in my bed trying to concentrate on the words of the book I couldn't help but be distracted by thoughts of Sakura. Would she ever get over this? What can I do to help her forget her feelings for Yukito? Should I step up and tell her how much I care about her? I ended up falling asleep with these thoughts in cycling through my head.

Next thing I know, I'm awakened by a the sound of thunder and the splattering of rain across my window. The storm must of finally reached Tomoeda and it looks to be a bad one. _Shit, Sakura hates thunder, I should go check if she's okay_. I go to sit up when I notice an arm thrown across my torso. I look to my right and see Sakura.

It's Sakura. In her cute little dress. Laying on my bed. Her arm across my stomach and her body curled towards mine. A crash of lighting illuminates her face and I see a crease on her brow that lets me know she's afraid. I lay back down and hold her close to me hoping that my love for her will somehow help her.


	2. Chapter 2

I tried to stay up as long as possible and just hold Sakura in my arms but soccer practice had worn me out and I ended up falling asleep. For the first time since a long time, I dreamt of Sakura and me chasing after the Clow Cards. It was a new card, but every time I would reach towards it, it would disappear.

It was still a little bit early but I wouldn't stay awake. Sakura had rolled over and was lying on her side; she was hugging one of my pillows and I couldn't help but be a little jealous of the damn pillow. I looked at Sakura's sleeping form; she was truly a very beautiful person. Her soft face was framed by brown tendrils across her cheeks. The way she curled her body towards the pillow showed how vulnerable she must feel.

With one last look at Sakura's form I went into my bathroom to take a quick shower since I had failed to do so last night and I felt dirty. When I got back to the room the bed was empty.

I got dressed quickly in sweatpants and a t-shirt and walked down the hall to the guest bedroom. Trying to be mindful of her privacy, I knocked on the door and when I received no answer I walked inside to make sure she was okay. The room is empty but I can hear the shower running so I leave the room and head downstairs.

Wei has taken some time off and since I'm now a senior in high school Mother had no objections to me staying alone for a while. The kitchen has recently been stocked with food so I go on the hunt for ingredients to make omelets.

I'm busy getting breakfast ready when I hear one of the kitchen stools moved. I turn and see Sakura leaning her elbows on the kitchen island. "Morning Sakura."

"Morning Syaoran, I hope you don't mind but I borrowed one of your soccer shirts. I'm not really ready to home yet but I'll eventually have to go get some of my clothes."

I looked at her and couldn't help but stare. Sakura's hair was still wet from her shower and she was indeed wearing one of my old soccer shirts. She's so freaking small, it is ridiculously big on her but she looks adorable. I don't even know what she is wearing under the shirt and I don't want to think too much about it; it's too early in the morning to have to work on keeping my thoughts clean when it comes to Sakura.

"Oh…um don't worry about it. Hey I have breakfast ready. I made omelets, I hope that's okay" I say.

"Yummy! I love omelets, thank you Syaoran you're the best."

I can't help the blush that comes to my face so I turn back to the stove and hope Sakura did not notice. When everything is ready I place the food on the kitchen island and we sit on the stools to eat since it's just the two of us. We eat our breakfast and talk about random things going on in town and school. She doesn't talk about last night and I don't bring it up either.

After breakfast, Sakura helps me with the dishes and we go into the living room to watch some tv. Not long after we get comfortable the phone rings. I get up and pick it up.

"Li residence."

"Li-kun it's Tomoyo, may I speak with Sakura?" Tomoyo sounds panicked.

"Uh yeah…wait, how did you know she was with me?" I can't help but ask.

"Well I got a call from her father this morning asking me if Sakura was with me and he was worried since she didn't come home last night. I lied and told him that she was with me and sleeping. I knew she must be with you since there is no one else Sakura trusts besides you and myself. Can I please speak with Sakura?"

"Yeah hold on," I put my hand on the receiver and call to Sakura. "Sakura, it's Tomoyo. She needs to talk to you."

Sakura gets up from the couch and walks over to me; I hand her the phone and go back to the couch so she has some privacy.

"Tomoyo?" Silence. "Yeah, Syaoran is letting me stay here with him." Tomoyo talking. "I didn't want to trouble you by staying at your place while you are busy with your internship….and Syaoran has helped me out with stuff like this before." Sakura then proceeds to fill in Tomoyo on what happened yesterday.

"Listen, I have to go home today and pick up some of my clothes since I don't want to be alone at the house for a while. Do you think you can do me a favor and come with me? ….. Okay, I'll meet you at the park in one hour and we can walk over. Thank you for calling Tomoyo." And with that Sakura hangs up.

She walks back to the living room and sits down on the couch next to me. We've grown so close as friends over the years that she has no problem with laying her head on my shoulder.

"I really don't want to go home and face my dad. I don't want to tell him I'll be away for a while. And I especially don't want to go because I know Touya is going to be there packing all of his stuff and if Yukito is there and they're all lovey-dovey I think I'll lose it." Sakura whispers into my shoulder.

"Hey, don't worry too much; Tomoyo will be there with you….and if you want…I could come with you too." I let her know it's up to her but I desperately hope she lets me go with them.

"Really? You would come with us?" She asks.

"Yeah, of course, I want to be there for you." Shit, did I really just say that to her? I hope she doesn't realize what I'm really trying to tell her with those words, I don't want to make her uncomfortable.

She looks at me for a bit. "Thanks Syaoran, that means a lot to me. I didn't ask before because I know you don't like to be near my brother for too long."

"Don't worry about it I think I can manage being in his presence for a little while. And I promise to be on my best behavior. I'm gonna go change and I'll meet you here." I get up and as I'm heading upstairs I remember something.

"Sakura, Meilin left some clothes behind the last time she was visiting, you can use them since I don't think it would be appropriate to go see your family in one of my soccer shirts."

I think I see Sakura blush right before she gets up. "Okay, thanks for letting me know."


	3. Chapter 3

Once Sakura was properly dressed in clothes that fit her, we left my home and headed out to meet up with Tomoyo at Penguin Park. The walk was mostly silent. We talked about school and I asked her how her cheerleading team was doing. She asked me how soccer was and I told her I liked it. It was certainly becoming more difficult to speak with Sakura as only friends. I want so much to help her out during this situation and at the moment she needs her closest friends to help her deal with the drama going on in her house. I'm not going to take advantage of the fact that she's in my home to tell her how I feel. That would just be wrong; it would be unfair to the both of us. I want her to be comfortable but if I make my feelings known she might feel like she is obligated to give me an answer since we will be living together.

I can't do that to her. For the moment, I am content to just walk beside her and know that she wants my help.

As we enter Penguin Park, there is no sign of Tomoyo. Sakura notices she is not here and heads to the swing set and sits down. There is a crease on her forehead and I know she must be worried about going home and facing her family. I go and sit on the swing right next to her and can't help but get a sense of déjà vu as we sit in silence on the swing set.

I turn to face Sakura. She's still quiet. "Hey Sakura, what are you thinking about?" I ask.

"Hmm…I'm thinking… I wonder if my dad is going to be mad at me for not coming home last night or for not even calling to let him know where I was. I know that I have to go home and give him an explanation but I'm scared that he'll ask me to stay home; I don't want to make him sad by leaving since Touya is leaving too. And I'm also scared that Touya will be there and I'll want to yell at him. But most of all I'm scared that Yukito will be there and he'll look at me with the same eyes he used to look at me when I was little; when he thought of me like a little sister."

All of this she said in a soft voice and I wanted nothing more than to get up from this swing and hold her, but since I can never get a break, Tomoyo showed up and Sakura got up to greet her. A moment later I got up as well and walked to where the girls were standing. "Hello Tomoyo, how are you?"

"I'm doing well, thanks for asking Syaoran. Sakura didn't mention that you were coming along."

"Ah no, I asked Sakura if I could come and help out. That way we can finish sooner with three people." I looked at Tomoyo and hoped she wouldn't think too much of it. However, the way she was staring at me with her grey eyes let me know that she was aware how important it was for me to help out Sakura in any way.

Tomoyo smiled and just said, "Well that's nice of you Syaoran to volunteer to help Sakura out; it's natural to want to help out the people you care about." And with that insightful comment she turned to grab Sakura's hand and they both started walking in the direction of Sakura's house.

I lagged behind to give them the chance to talk. Not long after we left the park, we arrived at Sakura's house. Sakura and Tomoyo stood in front of the house; Sakura took a big breath and entered the house with Tomoyo and myself behind her.

"Hello?" called out Sakura to what seemed an empty home. We walked into the living room and saw no one, we proceeded to the kitchen and once again it was empty. "Anyone home?" called out Sakura. It seemed that no one was currently here and that seemed to make Sakura relax a bit. But then we heard a noise upstairs and a second later her father called out, "We're upstairs Sakura."

Sakura looked at both Tomoyo and me when her father said "we."

Tomoyo took a hold of Sakura's hand once again and they climbed up the stairs with me following them. We reached the second floor and I saw the girls heading to Sakura's room but before they could reach her door, Sakura's father stepped out of Touya's bedroom. He walked up to Sakura and gave her a hug.

"Sakura, I'm glad you're home. I became worried when you did not return yesterday. Where were you?"

"Dad, I'm sorry I didn't let you know where I was. The truth is, I wasn't at Tomoyo's last night; she is really busy with her internship so instead I went to see Syaoran and he was kind enough to let me stay with him since I wasn't ready to come home. I'm sorry father but I just couldn't be in the house with Touya and Yukito. I'm glad that my big brother is happy but I guess deep down I'm still the same little girl who put her feelings out there and got rejected; I'm still the little girl who had her heartbroken by the man in love with my brother."

During the whole exchange, Tomoyo and I stood by the edge of the stairs and tried to be as invisible as possible, after all this was a family moment. The whole situation became more stressful when Touya appeared at the edge of his doorway and it was obvious that he had witnessed the exchange between Sakura and her father.

"Sakura," said Touya.

"Big brother, I didn't think you would be here," replied Sakura while looking at the floor.

"Um yeah, I'm just packing up my stuff so I can move in to Yukito's before the week is over." At his explanation, Sakura looked up to him.

"So soon?" she asked.

"Yeah, we want to get settled in as soon as possible." There was an awkward silence that followed. "Listen Sakura, I have loved Yukito for a long time and he has loved me as well, now that we are done with our studies this is our opportunity to be happy together and not care what people think. I'm sorry that this is difficult for you to accept and I didn't think it would bother you so much; you just have to get over your infatuation with Yukito."

I've known Sakura for a long time and I know that at times things will just set off her temper; I was certain that this was going to be one of those moments. Yet, Sakura amazed us all with her maturity.

"You're right big brother; I need to stop caring so much for Yukito. And in order to do that I need to be away from everything that reminds me of him and I need some time to figure things out." Sakura then turned to her father. "Daddy, I'm sorry but I need some time to figure out my feelings and I hope you understand why that cannot happen in this house. I'm going to be spending some time at Syaoran's house since he's one of my closest friends and has helped me through a lot. I'm just going to pack up some of my clothes and my books for school. I promise I'll return as soon as I can."

After Sakura made her intentions she walked down the hallway to her bedroom; Tomoyo and I took this as our cue to leave our hiding place and follow her. I entered her room and noticed the subtle changes in the room. No longer were the shelves lined with stuffed animals, no longer were there little kid sheets on the bed. This bedroom now belonged to a young woman who liked to keep things impressively organized.

The only thing that remained the same was the yellow plush toy that was currently lying on Sakura's bed asleep. Sakura went to the bed and shook the lazy guardian, "Kero, wake up." Nothing. "Kero, wake up!" Nothing. "KERO!"

Cerberus woke startled out of sleep and looked around the room for the source of the interruption.

"Oh Sakura! You're home, yay." He proclaimed.

"Yeah… about that Kero… I'm actually going to be spending some time at Syaoran's place and I just came to get some of my belongings. I want you to stay here and take care of the house and my dad, please."

The plush toy looked dejected and I felt sorry for him because for the past couple of years Sakura has been all he's known. Still, it was his duty to help Sakura in any way possible and if this is what she needed then this is what he should do to help her.

"Okay Sakura, whatever you say."

"Thanks for understanding Kero." Sakura told him and then turned to us. "Tomoyo can you help me start pulling clothes from the closet? Syaoran, can you get the suitcase that's under my bed please?"

It took us about an hour to get all of Sakura's necessities packed to her liking. She took one last look at her room and at Cerberus sitting on her bed and said "Goodbye….for a little while." I took her suitcase downstairs and just before we left, Sakura said farewell to her father and promised she would come back.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Sorry for the really late update. I recently moved to a new apartment so that took up a lot of my time and also school and work are keeping me occupied all the time. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you to all that have kept reading and have reviewed; I really appreciate it. **

Ch. 4

The walk back to the house was somber. Sakura was quiet throughout the way and both Tomoyo and I remained silent as well out of respect; Sakura needed the time to think things through. There were a lot of things happening to Sakura in such a short amount of time. She went from being really close with her family to losing her only love to her brother and then making the decision to move out of her only home in order to sort things out.

School never really teaches us how to deal with situations like this one and Sakura is pretty much figuring things out as she goes. I don't think she has a set plan yet but I trust what she's doing and hope that she knows she can come to me for anything. Tomoyo and I both love Sakura very much and even though we are saddened by all that she is going through, we have to be strong for Sakura and we have to be able to be there for her in any way that she needs. For now, Sakura is just looking for a place to stay for some time and I am more than happy to be able to provide her with a temporary home. I really hope that I will be able to help her in a more personal way. I hope that by spending even more time together I will somehow gain the courage to tell Sakura how I feel and that she will see that I want to be more than just one of her closest friends. I want to be the man that helps Sakura forget all about Yukito.

I had been so focused on my thoughts that I was completely taken by surprise when we arrived at the front steps of the house. Tomoyo set down the box she was carrying and went to give Sakura a hug.

"Aren't you going to come inside Tomoyo?" I asked.

"I'm sorry Syaoran but I have to be back at the studio in a few hours and I need to stop by my apartment before then. I wish I could help out more," Tomoyo replied.

Before I could answer Sakura replied, "Don't worry about it Tomoyo, you have been so helpful and I really needed you to be here with me today. You do so much for me that I am always grateful to have you as my best friend."

"Oh Sakura, it makes me so happy to be your friend." The girls hug for a few seconds and Tomoyo takes her leave, "Bye Syaoran, bye Sakura, I'll see you both at school on Monday." We stand and watch as Tomoyo turns at the street corner before heading inside the house. And now it's just me and Sakura.

I help take Sakura's suitcase and boxes up to the guest bedroom which pretty much belongs to her now. The room is nicely decorated for the rare occasions that it is ever used but I think Sakura will make it her own as soon as she unpacks. Thinking that she might want some privacy as she unpacks her most important belongings, I feel like I should let her do that on her own.

"Hey Sakura, I'll give you some time to unpack. Let me know if you need anything I'll be in my room or in the living room."

"Ok, thanks for your help today Syaoran, I really appreciate you wanting to help me," she replied and I knew she meant it. I was happy that she was here but it was somewhat bittersweet as I saw her looking at her belongings scattered throughout the room with a sadness that should not belong in her beautiful eyes.

I reluctantly left her in the room as I made my way across the hall to my bedroom. I sat on my bed and held my head in my hands. _What did I get myself into?_ I thought having Sakura stay here would be great until I realized that we would be together most of the time. I get nervous just by looking at her sometimes, how am I supposed to function with her so close all the time? Shit. I didn't really think this through at all. I want to be able to help Sakura through this situation but I'm not going to be much help if I turn into a lovesick teenager every time I'm close to her. And what if she decides to only wear big t-shirts around the house? I don't want to make her uncomfortable by gawking at her every time she walks into the room but it's not like I can help admiring how beautiful she is. Or worse, what if I accidentally happen to see her after she gets out of the shower? Ahhh! … No… I have to stop thinking like this. Sakura is my best friend first and if she needs me to help her out during this time that's what I'm going to do. I have to stop thinking about my own desires and start thinking about what else I can do to help Sakura.

I guess I could start by making something for dinner since I apparently spaced out for quite awhile since it's now a bit dark outside my window. I walk to the middle of the hallway and pause to see if I can hear anything coming from Sakura's room, nothing, before making my way down to the kitchen. I look inside the fridge and there isn't much in there. Not many options at all. I check the freezer and let out a sigh of relief when I spot the frozen pizza. It's not much but it's one of the few things I can actually cook properly. Tomorrow I'll make sure to go to the store and stock up the fridge with something better and healthier; maybe Sakura would like to come along.

I put the pizza in the oven and set the timer before walking over to the living room. I turn on the tv and start flipping through the channels; there isn't much on and nothing is holding my attention. Just when I am about to settle for a special on sharks I hear a scream coming from upstairs. Quicker than I've ever been, I bolt out of the couch and run up the stairs so fast I stumble a few times before I reach the top and run to Sakura's room. I have no idea what I was expecting to find in there; maybe Sakura cut herself or she found a scary spider or maybe there was a burglar hiding in the closet. Whatever I was expecting was nothing compared to what I found when I burst through the open door. There, in the middle of the room, was an unconscious Cerberus among some of Sakura's clothes.

Sakura jumped a little when I made my not so smooth entrance into the room. "Shit! Syaoran you scared me too. Oh god I hope Kero-chan is okay."

"Wait, what happened? What is Cerberus doing here?" I asked feeling so confused at the moment.

"I don't know. I was unpacking the rest of my clothes when all of a sudden I heard some noises coming from the box Tomoyo was carrying. I went to open it to see what it was when suddenly the top burst open and Kero flew out; I was so scared I grabbed one of the textbooks from the floor and hit him. It was an accident but I know he's gonna be pissed when he wakes up."

"You bet I'm pissed," we heard coming from the floor. Cerberus was standing on wobbly legs trying to stabilize himself while rubbing his bruised head. "Here I am trying to surprise you by cleverly sneaking into one of the boxes while you weren't looking so that you wouldn't have to be alone in a big house with the annoying kid and all I get is a hard hit on the head."

"Well, maybe if you hadn't been hiding all this time and scared me maybe I wouldn't of hit you," snapped Sakura.

"Fine, fine I'm sorry I scared you but I was only trying to cheer you up by having me here and….. Wait …. (sniffs the air)…. Is that pizza I smell?" the plush toy asks.

"Umm yeah," I say from the doorway. "I put in a pizza for dinner in case you were hungry after unpacking Sakura. It must be ready now, do you want to take a break and have some food? It's not much."

"That would be great, thanks for making dinner Syaoran." Sakura smiled and that just made me smile in response.

The moment was interrupted by an annoying shouting of "Yay Pizza! Yay yay!" coming from the toy as he left the room and I assume followed the scent of the pizza down to the kitchen.

"Sorry about him," Sakura said. "I know he can be very energetic and I apologize in advance since he's going to act like he owns the place now; but I would miss him if he left. However, this is your home and if you don't want Kero here I can order him to go back home."

"Don't be silly Sakura, if you need Cerberus at this time than he can stay here. As long as he stays out of my room we'll be fine. Come on, let's go get some food before the tiny beast devours it all."

"Hey, I heard that you brat." Sakura laughs at his comeback and hearing her laugh makes it worth having to put up with the plush toy living in my house.


	5. Chapter 5

After getting Sakura's belongings and getting her all situated in her new room, the rest of the weekend went by without much excitement. We ordered pizza for dinner on Saturday and had a very lazy Sunday afternoon. Because we have known each other for so long there was no need to constantly try to fill the silence. It was perfectly fine to stay in pajamas and watch tv until the middle of the afternoon. Sakura doesn't care that I sleep in or that I leave the dishes in the sink. Just like I don't mind that she is obviously a morning person and a neat freak. We gave each other their space and talked when there was something worthwhile to say.

The weekend has seemed to last forever; ever since I saw Sakura on my front steps my entire focus was on her and helping her through her ordeal. I completely forgot about school and was taken by surprise by Sakura knocking on my door Monday morning telling me that I was going to be late.

"Alright, give me fifteen minutes and I'll be ready!" I shouted from under the covers. I begrudgingly left the warmth of the bed and made my way to the bathroom for a quick shower. I was so out of it I just stood under the spray for a minute before snapping out of it. I got clean and stepped out of the shower. I never really cared about what I wore to school so I just took out the first things I saw in my closet; a pair of dark jeans and a plain black t-shirt. After getting dressed, I made my way downstairs to find Sakura lounging in the kitchen with a mug of coffee. She had made me breakfast again.

"Morning Syaoran, eat. I'll give you five minutes and then we're heading out. I don't want to be late." Sakura said from across the counter. I sat on the kitchen island and took a bite of toast before taking a gulp of orange juice.

"So…where's the plush toy this morning?" I asked.

"Oh Kero-chan is still sleeping, he probably won't be up until late in the afternoon."

"What a lazy ass. I mean, it's been years since we had to fight anyone so why do you still keep him around?" I was genuinely interested.

Sakura looked at me and thought about her answer. "Well, Kero-chan was there for me at a time when I had to do something really difficult. I had no idea what I was doing at the time and I made a lot of mistakes. There was many times where I felt like I shouldn't have been chosen to complete such an important task. I mean, we were still children; did you ever think about that Syaoran?" She looked at me expecting an answer, which I did not have, then continued. "I mean when the rest of our friends in elementary school were playing or their biggest problem was a test in class we were out there fighting and risking our lives. It was a lot to deal with sometimes, but Kero-chan was always there to cheer me up and make me feel worthy. Yeah sure he can be loud and bossy and messy but he's also a loyal friend who makes me laugh. I know that we're done with the whole magical adventures part of our lives but he's something that ties me back to my crazy childhood." She smiled and came towards the island where I was sitting. "Besides, I only met you because of the Clow Cards; now that it's over should I have stopped being friends with you too?"

I was shocked that Sakura would suggest that and I think it showed on my face. "Relax Syaoran, I was just kidding. You're too important for me to forget you. Now come on or we're going to be late for school." She laughed and went upstairs to pick up her school bag while I went to the sink to rinse out the dishes. I grabbed my bag and headed to the door to wait for Sakura. She came bouncing down the stairs and it amazed me how much energy she had in the mornings.

During the walk to school Sakura told me about the exam she had in her math class and how she wasn't sure how well she would do even though she spent last night studying for it. I was surprised to hear that she had an exam let alone that she had found the time to study for it this weekend after having to deal with all of the drama. Man, this is why Sakura is so amazing; she's so smart and strong.

"I'm sure you'll do fine Sakura, you've been doing well in math so far this year."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll just have to do my best to remember what I studied and we'll see what happens. Come on, we only have ten minutes before the first bell rings and I want to talk to Tomoyo." And with that we picked up the pace to school. When we got on school grounds Sakura spotted Tomoyo by the front entrance and ran towards her best friend. I decided to give them their space and made my way to my first class. I walked into the chemistry lab and made my way to the lab table; Yamazaki was already there, most likely going over today's procedures.

"Morning Yamazaki."

"Oh Li, I didn't realize you were here. Good morning. How was your weekend?" He asked.

"It's was okay for the most part. Yours?" I decided that people didn't need to know that Sakura was living with me. Most of the school knew we were really good friends but there were still those few people who enjoy starting nonsense. If Sakura wanted people to know that she had moved out of her house for a while then I would let her choose which people she wanted to share that information with.

"It was nice; Chiharu and I went to the park and had a picnic."

At that moment, I envied Yamazaki. I longed to be able to spend the weekend with Sakura and have a romantic picnic. I put all of those thoughts aside as the teacher came in and it was time to begin the long day. I must say it was nice having Yamazaki as a lab partner because he really liked chemistry and knew what he was doing; as a result we usually finished before the rest of the class and had some free time before the end of class. I took up this time as an opportunity to finish some of the homework I neglected to do during the weekend.

The next two classes passed by quickly and before I knew it I was sitting in under a tall tree in the courtyard, waiting for Sakura, Tomoyo and the rest of the girls to show up. Yamazaki and Chiharu showed up first and then Sakura and the girls. This is how it always was; me and Yamazaki among the prettiest girls in our grade. Throughout lunch, there was random talk about everyone's weekends and the entire meantime I could see Sakura and Tomoyo giving each other sideward glances. I was curious as to what was going on and I tried to capture Sakura's gaze but it was clear she was preoccupied with other things. Finally at the end of lunch Sakura gave one last glance at Tomoyo, who then nodded, and then cleared her throat.

"Everyone I just wanted to let you know that things have been pretty stressful at home. I don't know how many of you know but my brother has decided to move in with Yukito. It was really hard for me to go through this alone but luckily, Syaoran has been there for me throughout the whole ordeal. He's amazing and he's even let me stay at his house with him for as long as I need to be away from home. I just wanted you all to be aware of the situation so that if you needed to get a hold of me you wouldn't be calling my home and so that if you hear any rumors being started you please understand the real situation." Once Sakura finished with her speech she looked down while Tomoyo took a hold of her hand for support. The girls were all quiet and we, Sakura, Tomoyo and myself, were all waiting for their responses.

Naoko was the first to speak, "Oh Sakura, we're so sorry that you're going through this. I wish you would have told us earlier that way we could have helped you out too."

"Naoko is right Sakura," said Rika. "You're one of our closest friends and we're all here for you. We've all noticed that lately you haven't been your typical cheerful self and we used to think it was just the stress of classes but I'm glad that now we know the real reason."

"Thanks for understanding everyone," replied Sakura

Suddenly Rika stood up and smiled, "Oh I know! We should all get together and throw a party for Sakura so that she can forget her troubles for one night and enjoy being a teenage girl!"

There was a chorus of "Yea" and "Oh my god what a great idea" around the group. And that's how it was decided that this coming weekend there would be a party at Rika's apartment in honor of Sakura. It was sure to be a fun night with food, music and drinks. I was actually looking forward to it and hoped that Sakura would enjoy herself that night.


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of the week passed pretty much in the same manner as Monday had. I woke up, took a shower, got dressed and when I got downstairs Sakura had some sort of breakfast waiting for me at the table. We would walk to school together and sometimes Tomoyo would meet us at Penguin Park and the three of us would walk to school. Classes were always the same; unless we had a random quiz which kept us momentarily focused. The gossip of the week was all about the party on Saturday at Rika's place. Apparently, our whole class seemed to think they were all invited. I have no idea how Rika is going to pull this thing off and I am so glad that I have nothing to do with the planning process. I just hope that this party does help Sakura forget her family problems for at least that day.

Living with Sakura quickly became normal and felt right. We had been friends for such a long time that we had grown to know what made each other mad so we tried to avoid it as much as possible. At school we were just best friends. Sakura appeared to be the happiest person ever without a worry in the world. Only a select few were aware of her inner problems and how much she was hurting. This party was a way for us to give Sakura an opportunity to forget her troubles, if only for a little while, and her to enjoy being young. Soon school would end and many of us would go our separate paths; this was our last chance to make memories with the friends we spent years knowing.

Friday came incredibly fast. Several of the senior classes were talking about Rika's party tomorrow night and the excitement could hardly be contained. Apparently Rika had made an amendment to the party early on in the week and requested that all guest come dressed in cocktail attire. Rika explained that she wanted this to be a classy party and that everyone had to look nice.

As I was heading to our grassy spot for lunch Tomoyo caught up with me and pulled me to the side of the administration building.

"Listen Syaoran, this party is just the thing that Sakura needs to take her mind off of Yukito and Touya. I don't want her to worry about any of the planning. The girls and I are going shopping tonight and setting up early tomorrow so Sakura doesn't have to worry about that. I just want her to show up and have a great time," Tomoyo explained to me. "This is where you come in. I want you to keep her distracted tomorrow and make sure she gets to Rika's on time. I swear Syaoran if you two are late I will seriously be pissed so make sure you are both there at 9 tomorrow night. Oh and make sure you wear a green shirt tomorrow, that's the best color for you." And with those last words of advice Tomoyo turned and walked to our lunch area and sat down in between Sakura and Chiharu.

I stood there for a few seconds a little stunned about how serious Tomoyo was about this party but then made my way and sat on Sakura's other side. We all ate our lunch with mild chit-chat. After a few minutes Rika spoke up. "Ok everyone, I just want to let you all know that I am really looking forward to tomorrow night and it's going to be fucking amazing. As you all know I love a good party so look forward to great music and even greater drinks. I want you all to dress in your best tomorrow because it will be a night to remember. Sakura, you don't need to worry about anything, leave it to us. Just be come prepared for a good time."

"Thanks Rika. Thank you everyone for helping me get through this, you have no idea how much you all mean to me," responded Sakura with tears forming in her eyes. I turned to face Sakura and gave her a hug. "You know we all care about you Sakura and want you to be happy, we're here to help in any way." From the corner of my eye I could see Tomoyo looking at us with a peculiar look on her face.

My last two classes passed without me paying much attention. I just needed to get through soccer practice and then the weekend would officially start. I jogged from literature class to the lockers where I found Sakura putting her books away.

"Hey Sakura," I said.

"Oh hey Syaoran. Guess what?" she beamed at me. "What?" I asked.

"Cheerleading practice got cancelled since Rika, Naoko, and Chiharu are all going shopping for the party so now we can go home early," Sakura explained. Damn I hate our coach for giving us an extra practice on a Friday. I really like walking home with Sakura in the evening when it's no longer hot and the walk through the park is quite scenic this time of year.

"Oh I'm sorry Sakura but I have an extra soccer practice today since it's so close to the championship tournament. I wish I could walk home early but I think you're going to have to go on ahead without me," I told her.

"Don't worry about it Syaoran I'll be fine. Oh I know! I can go ahead and get dinner ready before you get home; I want to make something nice to start off the weekend. What would you like?"

The thought of coming home to Sakura's cooking instantly lifted my mood. "Surprise me," I told her, "I love your cooking so I'm sure I'll enjoy whatever you decide to make." I gave her a genuine smile and she smiled back.

"Ok then I'll see you at home." And with that she turned and walked off.

I quickly put my book-bag in my locker and made my way to the changing rooms. By the time I changed into my uniform Yamazaki and the rest of the team was already warming up. The coach looked at me but didn't say anything; I think that's because I manage to score at least once at every game. Practice turned out to be a pain in the ass. Coach takes the championship very seriously and as a result felt the need to drill us with endurance tests to ensure that we were all in top shape for the game next week. By the time practice was over the sun was starting to set and all of us were sweaty and breathing heavily. I ran into the changing room and took a quick shower, eager to get home. After I changed into my regular clothes Yamazaki walked with me to the lockers to get our school bags.

"Listen Syaoran, I've been thinking a lot about Sakura and what she's going through. I've known Sakura and her family since we were little and realize that this must be a very hard time for Sakura. I want you to know that I think that what you are doing for her is wonderful. Not only are you giving her a temporary home but you are also one of the few people who can fully make her happy. I also want you to know that I am aware of your feelings for Sakura," Yamazaki floored me with his last statement.

"Wait what? How… what?... What are you talking about Yamazaki?" I tried to play it off as if I had no clue what he was talking about and therefore he had things wrong.

"Oh cut the bullshit Syaoran. I've known you for several years and have noted the differences in how you interact with Sakura. I must admit, when you first moved to Tomoeda it did not look as if you and Sakura were on the best terms and that's why I was always there to diffuse the tension in the room. But throughout the years I have noticed how deeply you care for Sakura. You care about her in a way that is more than just friendship. I know this because you look at Sakura the same way I look at Chiharu. She makes the room brighter for you and I bet she's all you think about."

"Wow Yamazaki. I had no idea my feelings were so obvious… do you think Sakura knows?" I was kind of nervous to hear the answer. I mean if it was clear to Yamazaki I wonder if it was clear to others as well.

"Oh I highly doubt that Sakura is aware. For such a long time Sakura has had feelings for Mr. Tsukishiro that she really didn't have time to think about another person. I believe she cares deeply about you but does not realize the full extent of her feelings yet. Give her time and just make sure you're there for her; she needs you now more than ever."

"Thank you Yamazaki, there's a reason why you're at the top of our class. I'll make sure to take care of her because you're right; Sakura is the most important person to me."

"I know. Well take care Syaoran and I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Yamazaki." I turned and walked out the front doors and headed home.

I think I made it home in record time. I opened the front door and was hit with the delicious scent of tomatoes, garlic, and other spices. Immediately I headed into the kitchen where I saw Sakura plating three pieces of lasagna and a side salad. I loved lasagna and had never tried Sakura's but the smell enveloping the room assured me that it was going to be delicious.

"Smells good Sakura," I told her.

"Oh geez Syaoran I was so in the zone I didn't notice you coming in. It's almost ready. Do you mind going upstairs and letting Kero-chan know that dinner is ready?"

"Got it, be right back."

I made my way up the stairs and walked into Sakura's room. She had finished unpacking earlier in the week and now her room was set up very much in the same manner it was set up in her dad's house. I found Cerberus perched in front of the television playing some weird video game. He seemed to be really into it because he didn't even acknowledge my presence in the room. So far I'd say we had been getting along pretty well, mostly for Sakura's sake, but once in a while the plush toy would call me "brat" or purposefully eat the last piece of cake just to piss me off. I waited until the game was almost over before I made my move.

"YO!" I yelled right behind him. Just as I expected, Cerberus jumped off the floor and lost the game he was playing.

"Damn! You made me lose you brat. If it weren't for Sakura I would gladly change into my true form and tear you up a new one." He was not a happy little plush toy.

"Whoa relax! I just came here to let you know that dinner is ready; I didn't mean to disturb you. Unless you don't want any of Sakura's homemade lasagna. I mean I'll be more than happy to eat your share and…"

"Did you say lasagna? Yesss….Sakura hasn't made lasagna in such a long time and it's the best ever. Get out of my way kid, I'm going to get there first." True to his word Cerberus jumped up and flew out of the room with incredible speed. By the time I got to the dining table he was already seated with a knife and fork.

"You're such a glutton," I told him. He was about to say something back when Sakura came and placed our plates in front of us. Cerberus immediately began eating while I waited for Sakura to take her seat. My first bite of lasagna was of pure delight; Cerberus was right in saying that Sakura's lasagna was the best.

"Oh wow Sakura, you have really outdone yourself, this is delicious." I let her know.

"Thanks Syaoran. I wanted to make something special to let you know how much I appreciate all that you have done for me and also to start off the weekend in a positive note. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night."

"What's going on tomorrow night?" asked the plush toy.

"Rika and the girls are throwing a party for me and I have a feeling it's going to be a good night," replied Sakura.

"A party! Can I come?" he asked.

"Of course not, there's going to be a lot of people from school and it would be bad if you got careless and were seen by any of them," I told him, letting him know there was no way he was going to tomorrow's party.

"Fine, fine I get it. I'll just stay here then."

"Thanks Kero," Sakura told him. "And as a reward for not putting up a fight about it I decided to make a strawberry shortcake that we can have after dinner."

"Yay cake! You're the best Sakura." After that there wasn't much talking coming from Cerberus as he was eager to get to dessert.

The shortcake turned out to be delicious as well and we were all full after dessert. I helped Sakura wash and dry the dishes before we made our way to the living room to work on some of our homework assignments. Sakura had made the suggestion that we finish some early so that we don't have to worry about them throughout the weekend. I helped her when she got stuck on a math problem and she helped me with some of my literary analysis I was doing on a book she had read before.

"Hey Syaoran what time is it?" Sakura asked.

"Oh wow it's already 10:30."

"I think I'm going to go to bed, I want to get plenty of sleep so that I'm ready to stay up tomorrow night."

"Yeah that's a good idea, I'm just going to finish this last page and I'm going to bed after. Goodnight Sakura."

"Goodnight Syaoran."

I watched as Sakura gathered her workbook and headed upstairs. I heard her door close and then went back to working on my analysis. It took me longer than I expected to finish the last page because my thoughts kept drifting back to Sakura and what Yamazaki had said earlier in the evening. _I'm going to keep you safe Sakura_, I thought. _I'm going to let you know how much you mean to me and I'm going to help you forget about Yukito._

I silently picked up my books and made my way to my room. As soon as I hit the bed I realized how tired I truly was. I was so focused on Sakura as soon as I got home that I forgot how sore I was from practice. My bed was comfy enough that when I settled in I didn't hurt so much and was able to fall asleep without any troubles. This would be the second time I dreamt of me and Sakura chasing after a new Clow Card.


End file.
